Help with gardening and language exchange in a traditional cottage in County Leitrim, Ireland

Details

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  Description

  My name is Sorcha and I live with my husband Scott and our fluffy collie in County Leitrim in an old but cosy cottage. We have only lived here for one year and there is much work to be done in both the house and the garden. We could do with help around the house, the garden, and with cutting firewood.
  
  Because of the big variety of jobs we can only take helpers with either very good English or Russian language skills. We are especially keen to find language exchange partners with whom we can practice Irish, Russian, or Sakha (Yakut). Scott and I are both qualified English language teachers so can happily offer some linguistic insights, though neither of us teach English language anymore.
  
  We are looking for people with some experience in the required jobs and that can work independently.
  
  We love foraging and learning about plants and herbs so would be happy to share our budding knowledge and to learn from others.
  
  We eat a fairly healthy variety of food in the house, vegetables and meat, but mainly vegetarian food. We will do our best to accommodate those with dietary requirements (allergies/preferences) once you don't mind that meat and dairy are consumed in our home. I understand how uncomfortable traveling can be when you have food allergies as I am coeliac so please know we will be empathetic to such needs. It follows that our meals are always gluten free, though Scott does eat regular bread.
  
  We have a bicycle you can borrow. The surrounding area is beautiful and best explored by bike or on foot. There is a lake just 400m from the house where we swim and there are many other lakes within a short distance.
  
  Our house is in a very rural location with limited public transport. The nearest train station is Dromod (23 minute drive). There is also a bus service from Dublin and Sligo to Dromod. We can usually offer a lift from Dromod to the house. There is a local bus which goes to Carrick-on-Shannon. The bus stop is about a 30 minute walk from the house.
  
  We don't mind helpers who want to come at relatively short notice.
  
  РУССКИЙ
  
  Меня зовут Сорака, и я живу со своим мужем Скоттом и нашей пушистой колли в графстве Литрим в старом, но уютном коттедже. Мы живем здесь всего один год, и нам предстоит проделать большую работу как по дому, так и по саду. Нам не помешала бы помощь по дому, в саду и в рубке дров.
  
  Из-за большого разнообразия задач мы можем взять в качестве помощников только тех, кто хорошо владеет английским или русским языками. Мы особенно надеемся найти собеседников для языкового обмена, с которыми мы могли бы попрактиковать ирландский, русский или саха тыла (якутский). Мы со Скоттом оба квалифицированные преподаватели английского языка, поэтому с радостью поделимся некоторыми лингвистическими знаниями, хотя ни один из нас больше не преподает английский язык.
  
  Мы ищем людей с определенным опытом работы на требуемых должностях, которые могут работать самостоятельно.
  
  Мы любим собирать урожай и изучать растения, поэтому будем рады поделиться нашими новыми знаниями и учиться у других.
  
  Мы едим достаточно много полезных для здоровья продуктов, овощей и мяса, но в основном это вегетарианская пища. Мы сделаем все возможное, чтобы удовлетворить диетические потребности (аллергии / предпочтения) тех, кто не против то что мы едим мяса и молочные продукты в нашем доме. Я понимаю, насколько неудобным может быть путешествие, если у вас пищевая аллергия, поскольку у меня самой есть аллергия на глютен. Поэтому, пожалуйста, знайте, что мы с пониманием будем относиться к таким потребностям. Из этого следует, что нашие блюда всегда безглютеновые, хотя Скотт ест обычный хлеб.
  
  У нас есть велик, который вы можете одолжить. Окрестности красивы, и их лучше всего исследовать на велике или пешком. Всего в 400 метрах от дома находится озеро, в котором мы купаемся, а в нескольких минутах ходьбы есть много других озер.
  
  Наш дом находится в сельской местности, где общественный транспорт ограничен. Ближайшая железнодорожная станция находится в Дромоде (23 минуты езды на машине). Есть и автобусы из Дублина (включая из аэропотра) и Слайго до Дромода. Обычно мы можем предложить подвезти вас от Дромода до дома. До Каррик-он-Шеннона ходит местный автобус. Автобусная остановка находится примерно 30 минут пешком от дома.
  
  Мы не против помощников, которые хотят прийти в относительно короткие сроки.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Teaching

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Farmstay help

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Sustainability

  

  Politics / Social justice

  

  Pets

  

  Culture

  

  Music

  

  Plant care

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Books

  

  History

  

  Gardening

  

  Languages

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Nature

  

  Camping

  

  Mountain

  

  Dancing

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Hiking

  

  Cycling

  

  Adventure sports
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We would be delighted to provide insights into Irish culture and to share our experiences of traveling and living in other countries.
  
  We can share insights from our respective academic fields if that appeals to anyone. Scott specialises in Irish and horror literatures and I am sociologist working in Russian studies (edging slowly closer to finishing my PhD). We really enjoy conversing on these and a broad range of other topics if that is of interest to you! That said, we certainly do not aspire for all our conversations to be academic ones and are generally keen to engage in any type of conversation.

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  Help

  Help in the garden and around the house. Language practice - Irish, Russian, Sakha (Yakut).

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Russian: Fluent
  Irish: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  I speak decent Russian but would be very keen to improve. I would love a language exchange partner who really enjoys teaching new phrases and correcting mistakes! As a former language teacher, I am comfortable offering the same. Both Scott and I are also learning Irish. Scott's level is elementary, mine about intermediate. Any practice would be most welcome! Lastly, I have been learning the Sakha language (not listed on the Work Away options) casually and would be delighted to find someone who would enjoy teaching me more of this beautiful language.
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  Accommodation

  The house is homely but not luxurious. We have two accommodation options, depending on whether we have other friends or family staying at any given time. The first is a recently acquired caravan that we have placed in a private part of the garden surrounded by trees. The second is a loft bedroom. PLEASE NOTE: the loft is accessible by a ladder so please ensure you are comfortable climbing ladders. The bathroom is downstairs. We can also potentially offer space for a small camper van.
  
  We will provide three meals a day in exchange for 4-5 hours work a day, 5 days a week. Breakfast is usually toast and porridge, lunch is often soup, salad, and/or sandwiches, dinner is usually the largest meal, often vegetarian but sometimes with meat. We can offer fruit and nuts etc. to snack on during the day.

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  What else ...

  There are many lakes to explore nearby. Sliabh an Iarainn (Iron Mountain) is cycling distance away. We work from home so will often be free only in the evenings. We will endeavour to take some time off during your stay to show you some sites.
  
  We really enjoy welcoming people into our home and want everyone that comes through our door to feel comfortable. We just ask that guests do not wear strong perfumes/body sprays.
  
  We cannot allow other pets.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have WiFi but the connection is really only strong enough to support our work needs and maybe watching a film the odd evening when all other devices are disconnected. Thus, we can offer WiFi for checking emails, messages etc., but probably not for streaming purposes.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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  My animals / pets

  

  Púca

  Púca is friendly merle collie who came to us from animal rescue in April 2025. Here he is (on the right) with our neighbour's dog (on the left) who often visits us from down the lane. Púca is quiet, gentle creature with a calm temperament, though he does get excited when he meets people for the first time.

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